Magnetically-controlled friction-gearing.



A. SUNDH.

MGNETIGALLY CONTROLLED PRICTION GEARNG.

APPLICATION Hmm oog, 1911.

L?. Panntea May 7, 1912.-

hereinafter`I UNITED srarns vPATENT onirica.

AUGUST SUNDH, O1? HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELEVA'1.IRV

CCMPANY, OFJERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION-OF NEW JERSEY.

MAGrNE'lICALLY-COlVIROLIIiIEID` FRlCTION-GEARING.

A Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented Mayl'. 1 91 3.

Application filed October 25, 1 911. Serial No. 656,614.

construction in which a plurality of friction gear wheels or rollers are surrounded by a friction driving ring, said rollers and ring being inclosed in :t casing. A

An object of the invention is to provide in connection with this form ofl gearing, electromagnetic means for holding the ring in proper frictional contact with the rollers, said means also serving to adjust the mechanism when the direction of rotation is reversed. 4

Other objects of the inventionand the exact nature thereof Will appear more fully Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation vievv of the apparatus; Fig. y2 is .a sectional elevation as indicated by they section line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the circuits for the electromagnets. j

The friction gearing is preferably ini closed in an oil casing A mounted on'a, base B. The casing comprises a lower section 'l and an upper section 2 andis preferably vfilled with a lightoil. A driving shaft D, which may be connected to any suitable source of p'ovver,'as for example an electric motor, extends into or through the upper portion of the casing and is lprovided with suitable self adjustable bearings therein.

. Keyed to the shaft D is a friction dri-ving roller 3 in frictionrolling contact with a roller 4 keyed to Va driven shaft C also journaled in-the casing.` Beneath the roller 4 is an idler roller 5 mounted on ashaft E self adjustable in the lower section of the casing. "The roller 4 is provided `With a peripheralgroove in which run annular ribs 7 formed on the rollers 3 and This construction serves to prevent relative movement' of the rollers in an axial direction.

lSurrounding the friction rollers -fis an annular friction gear or tioatiiig ring S, the

inner surface. of whicli'is in frictional contact with the peripheries of the rollers 3 and 5. The ring 8 is also provided with an annular recess 9 to receive the ribs 7, thereby holding the ring against lateral displacement. (")n opposite sides of the casing are electromagnets M and M', each comprising pole pieces 1,0 extending in to the casing in close proximity to the gear ring S. The latter is made of suitable magnetic material,

such as iron or steel, so that when either of,

the magnets is energized, the magnetic circuit between the pole faces is completed through the gear ring. A The casing A is preferably made of white metal or other suitable non-magnetic material. Sleeves 12 of brass or other non-magnetic material form bearings for the pole pieces 10 and also serve to magnetically insulate the cas-v ,inv A, in case the latter is made of cast iron or other magnetic-matei-ial. The magnets are adjustable toward and from the ring 8 and are held in adjusted position by means of set screws r13.' (.)nly one of the magnets energized atY a time. The circuits for the magnets are shown diagrannnatically in' Fig. 3. A rheostat comprising resistance's 14 and 15 is placed in circuit with the magnet windings. As the'y rheostatlever 16 is moved,`for example, to the left, from the position shown, a circuit is established through the winding of the magnet M and the resistance '14. 'The amount of the reright, in like manner establishes a circuit',4

through the magnet M and resistance 15.

In .operation the shaft D may be rotated in either directiopf. If it is rotated ina countercl'ockwise j'frection for example, the

friction Wheels ai d ring Will be rotated in Athe directions indicated by the arrows'. The rotation of the friction -Wheel 3 rotates'the gear 8 and also tendsto carry it bodily to' the left, thereby increasing the frictional pressure between the ring and rollers. When the drive shaft I) is rotated in the direction indicated, the magnet M is energized. The magnetic, pull on the ring 8 materially increases the pressure between the rollers and ring. In this way sufficient pressure is maintained to practically prevent slipping, thus securing an eiiicient transmission of power through the gearing.V The strength of the magnet may be regu-4 lated lat will tov vary the pressure on the friction rollers, to suit varying conditions met with in practice. `When it is desired to operate the mechanism in a reverse direction, the direction of rotation of the driving shaft is reversed, and the rheostat lever moved to the right to denergize the mag,

net M and energize the magnet M. The ring 8 will then be drawn toward the poles of the magnet M: The ring 8 and the friction Wheels are preferably so proportioned that only a slight lateral movement of the ring is permitted. The bearings for the shafts D and E are capable of a limited movement in the casing to permit a slight automatic adjustment of the rollers 3 caused by the variation in pressure or by wear or irregularities in the rollers.

Various modificationsl of the mechanism herein disclosed might be made Without de.

I wish thereto the exact construcgears in rolling contact, a ring surrounding saidgears and electromagnetic means acting on said ring to govern the pressure at the contact surfaces of said gears.

3. In combination, friction rollers, an annular friction member surrounding said rollers, and electro-.magnetic means to regulate the pressure between the said member and rollers.

l 4. The combination of a friction roller, a

ring yin rolling contact therewith, and amagnet, said ring comprising magnetic material forming an armature for the magnet.

5. The combination of a magnet anda ring yof-magnetic .material rotatable rela- 'tivelylto the magnet with a section of the ring continually ,in position to. form Aan armature for the magnet.

6. The combination of a magnet, a magring, friction gears in rolling contact therewith,and a magnet positioned to exert a magnetic pull on said ring and thereby contro the pressure between the ring and friction gears. i

9. The combination of friction rollers,' a magnetic ring surrounding the rollers, and a magnet having pole pieces in proximity to said ring and adjustable to vary the space between the ring and pole pieces.

10. In combination, friction rollers, a

floating ring surrounding the rollers, acasing inclosing said .ring and rollers, and a magnet having pole pieces extending through the walls of the casing into proximity to the rollers. w. 11. In combination, friction rollers, floating ring surrounding the rollers, electro-magnets positioned to pull on said ring in opposite directions, and means for separately and singly energizing said electromagnets.

12. In combination, a friction A driving roller rotatable in either direction, friction rollers cooperating"therewith, a friction ring of magnetic material surrounding the rollers, electromagnets on opposite si es of said ring each having spaced pole pieces in position to include a section of the ring in the magnetic circuit, means to singly energize each magnet, and means to Vary the strength of each magnet.

13. In combination, friction rollers, a friction ring of magnetic material surrounding the rollers, opposed electro-magnets, and a controller operable to connect each magnet separately and singlyl to a source of current supply and to regu ate the strength of the .exciting current.

14. In combination, a friction drivin roller, a friction driven roller, and a friction idler roller having horizontal axes arranged in vertical alinement, a magnetic floating Aring surrounding said rollers, a Icasing inclosing the ring and rollers, electro-magnets on opposite sidesof saidring, and means to separately excite'the electromagnets.

l5. In combination, a drive shaft rotatable in opposite directions, a friction roller carried thereby, coperating friction rollers, a floating ring surrounding the rollers, and means to shift the ring in either direction 'to correspond to the direction in which th drive shaft is rotated.

16. In combination, a friction driving roller, coperating rollers, a floating ring surrounding the rollers and electromagnetic means to4 shift the ring in opposite directions to correspond With the direction of ro- 10 tation of said driving shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have signed'my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. AUGUST SUNDH. Witnesses l JAMES G. BE'rHnLL,

J. F. RULE. v 

